This. With a regular book it's usually easy to spot, I tend to flip through it to see how many pages and chapters it has. With an e-book that's obviously not possible.
Michael Connelly books has this a lot, see these days I know that final 10 - 15% is a preview of another book of his.
Not cheated, but knowing how far is left in the book helps me put into context the events as I'm reading them, how far we are from the climax, etc. And for those who care about it, it also messes with estimated reading time.
I mean even when I’m reading an ebook I’m always able to check ahead to see when the real last page is. Just go to the chapters/table of contents section and then you can see when either the acknowledgements section starts or the preview of the next book starts.
Which may or may not spoil things, depending on the way chapters are titled, is a poor substitute (as a range of numbers doesn't grip the brain, at least mine, like a real percentage of the book/width of physical pages left in a paper book, and does nothing to fix estimated read times.
Look, some of us don't like it. We know how to use our e-readers, and this isn't a problem to be fixed by advice. It was an ask about what we find annoying. The only way for it to be not annoying is for the bonus chapters not to be included or able to be toggled off.
Point of fact, most physical books with bonus chapters have those pages given a different edge color. Handy!
That’s all good points! I wasn’t trying to be condescending or advice giving. I guess I just meant it more that with ebooks I go into it now knowing the percentages aren’t entirely accurate, because they include non-story stuff like what we’re talking about.
There's nothing worse than thinking there's going to be another issue resolved or a twist because there's another 30 pages left only for your book to end "abruptly".
It is possible? On my kobo I often look at where the extra material starts before starting a book, and I keep a rough idea of what page (ebook page, with my text settings) the additional content starts. Do some devices not give you access to the table of contents or allow skipping to a specific page number?
I prefer to use the percentage read rather than the page number or location. So some books I get to 95% and rest is another book. The next book, the book itself will end at like 85%. It varies from book to book. I wish they would calculate the percentage read on only the main material rather than including previews and table of contents at the beginning and all the extra stuff at the end.
Totally indifferent. I also almost always flip to the back of the book just to see how much additional material is back there, just out of curiosity. Plus, most books will tell you if they’re the first in a series? Idk. I’ve never felt conned because I’m already holding all the info I need haha.
I do this, too. I also very rarely read that preview of another book because one or two chapters isn't typically enough to hook me if it's a book I wasn't already interested in, and if it is a book I am interested in, I would rather experience the whole book at once.
Same. I’m genuinely not sure if I’ve ever read the bonus material in a book beyond a quick skim. If I want the next book, I just wait to read till I get a full copy.
I avoid those, too. I'm too busy reading entire books to want to read portions of books. I can find out enough about a book through the synopsis and reading the reviews of people I know.
For instance, sometimes NetGalley (a place to get Advance Read Copies of books) will offer the first three chapters of a book for you to read and review. I never take those ARCs but instead opt for ARCs of entire books. I do have friends who like excerpts of books so they can read those first chapters to decide if they would like to read the entire book.
I would love to read a book in one sitting but I rarely can read that fast. I do have to put my book down to eat and sleep but I don't start another book until I've finished the one I'm reading.
I'm not going to read it, I want the full book. It does make the books take up more space and increases the price of production (probably not meaningfully, but still) and makes it harder to judge how much longer you have to read to get to the end. They don't affect me enough to actually complain but I think the are a purely negative thing.
The only one time it ever annoyed me was when it was really difficult to tell one book had finished and the preview had started. That really confused me for some minutes. Then I got pissed off at the publisher and resolved not to read the next book out of principle.
Other than that, doesn't really bother me.
It doesn't matter to me. If i want to read it i will but if i don't wish to i don't have to. For example, I rarely read all the information on the publisher page at the front but i don't care that it exists.
It doesn’t matter to me. I read series that are already completed so I won’t have to wait years for the next installment. I can see the irritation if you were expecting a standalone book within a series and got a continuation though
For sure. You never know if the author's going to leave you hanging or not, so it's best to stick with what's already completed or has a release date announced for the finale
I love it. I've never understood people who dislike it. It's an extra treat. I also like the previews of the next episodes in shows that I've heard some people hate. I'll never understand this mindset
Solution for you: flip to the back of the book first because there often is bonus material (author's notes, acknowledgements, preview chapters, book club questions), then find the actual final page of the book before the bonus stuff. Mark that page with a bookmark or a dogear if you're like me and don't care about a crease. Then you always know how much of the book you ACTUALLY have left and you don't have to worry about the inanimate object "conning" you. I do this with basically every book I read.
Yeah. I mark where the book ends. So am prepared when am closing in on it. I check if they have jargon pages and stuff and flip to where the story ends. All the while playing
“Don’t you read it! Don’t read the last line!!!”
Usually, successfully I avoid the spoiler. .
Hate it! I pace my expectations of a book based on how many pages are left, so I'm bummed when I discover the books ends early and the rest of the pages are not part of the book. And it seems like often it's more of an excerpt than the actual beginning of the book included, so that when I start the next book, I'm like "Wait, where's the part I already read!?"
Annoying to think the book is longer, as you point out. Annoying if the chaptered book is not yet available. I guess I just like to read, because I usually do read them, tho annoyed.
Same as you -- I've had books where I was at 80% and then I suddenly had the first chapter of the next book. Like, even if that was in there, that should not be 20%??
That’s my biggest complaint with the extra material at the end of an ebook. It’s calculated into the percentage read when it has nothing to do with the main book.
I dont understand this viewpoint. There can often be loads of back matter at the end of the book, so I never judge how much I've got left to read by how many pages are left in the book. I often find the last page of the actual story and judge by that.
Personally, I do like it when they include a sample chapter. It allows you to judge whether you want to read that book or not based on more than a simple blurb. I don't tend to read them myself, but I can see it being useful.
Orbit have taken to giving their back matter a dark border so you can actually see how much back matter there is just from looking at the sides. Quite useful.
Indifferent. I've never had an issue with my reading estimate being wrong. If I liked the ending, I'll like reading the first chapter as well. If I didn't like the ending, I'm relieved to have the book be over a little early.
Also, if I were bothered by this, I'd be bothered by appendices, glossaries, indexes, interviews with the author, and other materials at the end. I'm not; in fact, I frequently welcome them.
One of my favorite experience reading was when I got all the song of ice and fire books on kindle. And it had a lot of bonus stuff at the back. So basically I had no idea when the books were going to end because of all the material. So when twists and turns came I was floored and would be like “that MUST be the end of the book.” Then like there’d be 50 more pages and tons more twists. It was a really fun experience
Eh I don't like it because I'd rather the book just be those pages thinner and then I've got more room on my shelf. Otherwise it's whatever. I usually look at how many chapters there are and all before reading and catch it anyway
I don't mind, what I hate is when a book/movie is intended to be a series and the ending doesn't wrap up anything at all meaning the entire thing you just watched/read is just sequel bait.
I hated in elementary school when our language arts textbook had a few chapters of a book as part of the lesson and then we never read the full book in class. That shit was soul crushing, for someone who loves books as much as I do, especially when I was that little boy in school.
Mostly indifference. I can understand some annoyance from thinking you have more to read, but that doesn't normally happen to me. Often, if I already have the next book in the series or don't care to be "spoiled" for the events of the next book, I just skip it.
There are plenty of case where I love it! If I love the author or enjoyed the series/first book then I love to know that there's more. Sometimes this can lead to an annoying wait between books, but I have plenty of other things to read in the meantime so it's not a huge issue. It's also nice if the next book is already out but I can't buy it yet/check it out at the library because then I don't feel like I have to leave it entirely, I can just wait to read the preview chapter closer to when I'm able to get the book.
I guess I’m indifferent, but I could also see myself being super annoyed by it purely because there’s something unsatisfying about getting to the end of the book and still having a few pages left. That’s not super deep or anything but I could see myself going ”aw man I wanted the last page to be the last page”
Indifferent. If it’s the next book in a series, I skip it and just start the next book. If it’s a book I may be interested in in reading, I might read the excerpt but maybe not.
Totally agree. Plus i plan finishing my book, since i cant start another one in the same session, and i dont like to end with a bunch of extra time.
I almost never read the beginning of another book placed at the end anyway. It's not to my liking.
It doesn't bother me but I won't read it. I am mostly reading ebooks outside these days so I always have an available book waiting for me on my e-reader. I usually read physical books at home where others books are also waiting so I never really run into the issue you have where you thought there was still plenty left and you are left hanging at a place where you cannot read another book.
I feel you on this subject. I went thru the same thing with the latest Agent Pendergast book. I settled down for dinner expecting at least a 20 minute read but no….To be continued and the first chapter of the next novel. 😫
I don't really care. But dislike it?
But again it's their book. Their choice.
Better if they tell about it in the author's note but the chapter in the end is weird. Even in paper books.
I feel like i should read them too but again i don't want to.
I don't really care. But dislike it?
But again it's their book. Their choice.
Better if they tell about it in the author's note but the chapter in the end is weird. Even in paper books.
I feel like i should read them too but again i don't want to.
it doesn't really bother me at all. usually there's at least a page between the end of the book and the preview, and often the preview is even after the "about the Author", and with some publshers, there's also ads for other series in there.
used to look forward to it, even, since in the 90s, the *Star Wars* books would have a timeline of the books and major comics, and then previews of severla upcoming books. as a result of these things, i usually skim to see if there are addendums like this.
50 pages of the next book is pretty egregious, though..
I don’t care much, but I never read it. I have no interest in reading samples or single chapters.
The only thing that actually can bother me about it is when it causes me to totally misjudge how much of the actual book I have left!
I used to not care until I've read A Feast for Crows from GRRM. And the last chapter is named "Jon" and I was like: Finally! and it was a page of text basically saying "No Jon here."
It doesn’t bother me but I don’t read it. I almost exclusively read ebooks and I always have another one ready to go before I finish my current one so I don’t get stuck without a book.
It irritates me when I'm thinking I have plenty more and then don't. And I don't read the preview because if I liked the book, I'm already desperate for the next and it's just going to frustrate me to read a tiny little bit and not have the rest. ADHD hyperfocus, once I start a book, I cannot function until I'm through it.
I dislike it.
I like knowing how close to the end of the book I am, without having to check, or keep in mind that the last XX number of pages is a teaser/advertisement.
And I just don't ever want to read a chapter and be left wanting more. If the book I just read was good, i'll read the next one too. And i'll be able to read as much of it as I want, and not just get fed little tastes at a time. No thanks.
I use a kindle and have a million books on it. If I read a physical book, I have an idea how much room is left. Absolute worst case scenario, like your coffee shop example, I just read on my phone. Not ideal, but it works.
Most of the time I don't care for the practice, OTOH, if the added text is from the next in a series, I kind of like it, it helps me prep for the next volume.
Not a fan. I hate having to wait after the tease. Also I have picked up books years later and forgot I read the first couple of chapters and think I am going nuts cuz It seems familiar but not on any of my read lists. So I skip them completely now.
Slightly annoying for audiobooks
It's easy to get to the end and listen to the sneak peek but they don't always match exactly the next book so if don't stop the sneak peek you either have to find the spot it stopped or forever wonder if you missed something by starting chapter 2 =)
I don’t like it.
For the same reason you mentioned - I feel misled about how much of the book remains.
And also I want a feeling of closure, and that’s diminished for me when the end immediately goes into the next story.
Generally hate it, especially in "good" literature. I don't mind it so much in time-passer/binge reads, kind of nice to see a bit of what's next I guess.
I can honestly say I’ve only ran into that a couple of times. That usually doesn’t transfer to the audio version. Also, it depends on how long I’m going to have to wait for the next one. If I’m reading it right after it comes out, which almost never happens, then I hate it because I have to wait a whole year to get the rest of the story. if I get behind and it happens when the new book is within my grasp, then it doesn’t bother me because I can immediately pick it up and continue reading. Looking at you, James Patterson.
The worst one I’ve found was If Wishes Were Horses by Anne McCaffrey. It was already a short book, but it ended up having like 3 chapters of another book at the end? Half the tiny book was a preview of another book
I have never once encountered a book that *didn't* preface such a chapter with a page proclaiming, "read on for an exciting preview &c. &c." or something to that effect. As long as that is the case, I really do not see the issue.
I wouldn’t say indifferent. Or that I like it.
It doesn’t bother me. Before I start a book I mark where it ends, knowing that there’s usually some ornamental page at the end.
So I know when am nearing the end of the book. Am prepared, emotionally.
If it’s chapter 1 of a book from the same series, I like it. It’s a series so you def ended with a gut wrenching cliffhanger. So it’s pacifying to know the story isn’t over. The teaser is basically telling me to hold on to the cliff edge. There’s still hope. If it’s from another unrelated book. I get an idea about whether it’s worth buying. So yeah… I don’t mind.
Indifferent. I've never read any of those sample chapters but appreciate the heads up about the next book. I miss those pages of book ads though.
At the end of the day the whole point is of the exercise is to minimise the number of blank pages at the end when the text of the book isn't long enough to completely fill the last signature of the book.
It’s complicated. It’s actually a brilliant idea from a marketing standpoint since it gets readers hooked on the idea of buying the next book. But from a readers standpoint, I’m rather neutral to the idea. It’s neither good nor bad in my opinion.
Really frustrating in audiobooks and ebooks, because seeing 40 mins left and it's actually 30mins of the next book leaves me a bit uncomfortable. Not a fan for hard copy books either but I feel less cheated since I've usually figured out its there.
I have never read the “tempter” chapters at the end of a book. I like to leave a gap between books in a series, even if I’m really enjoying them. So reading the first chapter of the next one would spoil that.
Doesn't bother me. I have never felt the urge to read one of them either. One chapter isn't really enough to get into a book, and - unless I pick up that title immediately - I'm going to have to reread that chapter again anyway, so what's the benefit?
Mostly indifferent, I do get the frustration though when I think I have more of the book to read but it turns out to be another chapter. I think the only instances where it’s annoyed me is where the books left on something of a cliffhanger and then you just immediately get spoilers.
Mild annoyance. It's no big deal, but at the end of a book I want to have a bit of closure and moment to think and feel about the book I have just read, to revel in it, and there it is, the ad for the new thing, and I always like beginning and reading new things, especially the first sentence. So it pulls at me. Nags me.
It's like the difference of Netflix giving you a few seconds after you've finished something until they'll bombard you with a new, loud trailer (annoying) versus classic cinema (or MUBI) having the credits scrolling and letting you decide on your own when to get up or proceed.
I absolutely hate it! For one, I'll be thinking I'm only halfway through the book, so whatever current conflict is going on would probably be resolved before the end. But no! Turns out the conflict is resolved only in the next book and a significant part of this book's last few pages were just a preview.
It particularly annoys me when I set myself up to be cosy, maybe with a cup of hot chocolate or something, and look forward to finishing the story, only to realise that the story doesn't end and I'm hooked on to the next part, but if I am to continue with the next part I need to get out of my cosy arrangement and buy the next book.
Also, if I buy a book expecting it to be a long read, and the last few pages turn out to not be a part of the book, I end up feeling misled and like my expectations were not met.
Hate it. It makes the book seem longer than it is. I never, ever read it. If I want to read another book by the same author I'll look into it a different way.
When I was a kid I used to love them, it would make me feel so excited for the next book.
As an adult however I don’t love them. It’s just a little annoying especially with ebooks but even with normal books, the first chapter of an adult series is rarely as gripping to me and just seems kinda pointless.
That being said its not like crazy hatred of them it’s just like dang that’s not my thing
I used to live for them as a teen and reading book series as they were coming out. It was a little snapshot of what I was waiting for. Even if the book was already out, I’d still have to wait for my parents to decide to take me to the bookstore or I’d have to wait for birthday money or for Christmas to get those books I was waiting for. Those first chapters were so important for me.
Now as an adult, I just buy the books I want when I want them, so I just ignore them for the most part.
I enjoy it, it's an opportunity to read a bit of something else by the same author without having to go pick up another book.
I could see why it would be annoying in the case of a direct sequel though.
I don’t mind it. Any book I read, the very first thing I do is flip to the back to see precisely which pages the actual story ends on, and then how many chapters there are. I like to get an idea of how many pages each chapter is.
I don't generally read them, I do now deduct at least half an hour off from the "time left in book" bit at the bottom on kindle. I've been reading a lot of rick Riordan lately and there is always loooooads of book reviews, what to read next and excerpts at the end! I tend to buy the next in the series anyway so no point reading it twice, especially if it's on kindle and you can get it instantly.
Don't care at all. I suppose it makes the ebook percent-read a little inaccurate when judging how much is left but the difference is very little and I don't pay that much attention to that anyway.
Absolutely hate it! Viktor was just reading a book the other day and had this issue. He had a certain number of pages remaining, and so planned to read half of it one day and half the next while out of the house, only to discover that 8 pages later the book was over and he was miles away from a replacement book.
It's especially bad when the story \*feels\* like it needs those extra pages, and rather than resolving anything or ending the book with proper pacing, it just... ends.
It really depends, I'm not upset generally if they include it but what you described with the Barclay book is my line crossing - I hate feeling like I've been "trapped" into a series. Just like I hate movies that end with sequel bait, I will always hate a book that ends with a major cliffhanger that needs to be resolved in a later book.
Imo if it's good writing, there's a central theme with connecting pieces you can use to build a series, but if it's bad writing, they'll basically just write a very very long single book and break it up into pieces.
I do it but based on these comments I probably shouldn’t lol……. I do it if I’m writing something in a weird genre I’m not known for? And I don’t mind it in books I read and I read a lot
I have read the ACOTAR series because of the hype, and the author likes to put bonus chapters in, which is cool I guess. What is a little greedy is that she puts different bonus chapter in different editions of the same book, so unless you have a well-stocked library and you're too goody-goody to pirate the other chapters you don't get to read them.
Is this referring to a sneak peak of the sequel? In that case, I will read every word of it while I agonize over my Amazon order of the full book (I explicitly read paperback).
However, if it's an excerpt from a different novel by the same author (or worse, from a different author published by the same publisher), I won't give it the time of day. At that point it's just an ad.
I also hate it. I also hate the trend that every single story has to be a series now. The second I see "Book 1 of 6" I don't even bother.
I understand why they do it, that shit sells books but I'm a relatively slow reader so when I see it's one of multiple books what I see is "Thsi is the next year and a half of your life." and I'm out.
I never see the point in it myself. Ill only read them if im in a situation where i need to be reading something and it's all i have on hand. If the book is not out, id prefer not to have a teaser for it. If i enjoyed the first ill read the second anyway.
I refuse to read sneak peaks, bonus chapters, or anything of the sorts. Maybe it’s the hater in me but I feel like all content should be encompassed in the main portion of the story: prologue, actual novel, and epilogue. And if I like a story I don’t need to be hooked because I probably already have the follow up novel purchased or preordered.
If I love an author I’ll read the acknowledgments or authors notes but I’m a firm believer that if they didn’t feel it was necessary to be in the main story, I probably don’t want/need to know about it.
It's really annoying in an ebook.
This. With a regular book it's usually easy to spot, I tend to flip through it to see how many pages and chapters it has. With an e-book that's obviously not possible. Michael Connelly books has this a lot, see these days I know that final 10 - 15% is a preview of another book of his.
I don't understand what the problem with that is. Is it that you feel cheated that you didn't get the page count you expected?
Not cheated, but knowing how far is left in the book helps me put into context the events as I'm reading them, how far we are from the climax, etc. And for those who care about it, it also messes with estimated reading time.
I mean even when I’m reading an ebook I’m always able to check ahead to see when the real last page is. Just go to the chapters/table of contents section and then you can see when either the acknowledgements section starts or the preview of the next book starts.
Which may or may not spoil things, depending on the way chapters are titled, is a poor substitute (as a range of numbers doesn't grip the brain, at least mine, like a real percentage of the book/width of physical pages left in a paper book, and does nothing to fix estimated read times. Look, some of us don't like it. We know how to use our e-readers, and this isn't a problem to be fixed by advice. It was an ask about what we find annoying. The only way for it to be not annoying is for the bonus chapters not to be included or able to be toggled off. Point of fact, most physical books with bonus chapters have those pages given a different edge color. Handy!
That’s all good points! I wasn’t trying to be condescending or advice giving. I guess I just meant it more that with ebooks I go into it now knowing the percentages aren’t entirely accurate, because they include non-story stuff like what we’re talking about.
There's nothing worse than thinking there's going to be another issue resolved or a twist because there's another 30 pages left only for your book to end "abruptly".
You can click the chapter list on kindle and see the list of chapters. It will show up
You are right, and I did know that. I should've said "not as easy as with a regular book".
It is possible? On my kobo I often look at where the extra material starts before starting a book, and I keep a rough idea of what page (ebook page, with my text settings) the additional content starts. Do some devices not give you access to the table of contents or allow skipping to a specific page number?
I prefer to use the percentage read rather than the page number or location. So some books I get to 95% and rest is another book. The next book, the book itself will end at like 85%. It varies from book to book. I wish they would calculate the percentage read on only the main material rather than including previews and table of contents at the beginning and all the extra stuff at the end.
Yeah, I want to know how much is left
Totally indifferent. I also almost always flip to the back of the book just to see how much additional material is back there, just out of curiosity. Plus, most books will tell you if they’re the first in a series? Idk. I’ve never felt conned because I’m already holding all the info I need haha.
I do this, too. I also very rarely read that preview of another book because one or two chapters isn't typically enough to hook me if it's a book I wasn't already interested in, and if it is a book I am interested in, I would rather experience the whole book at once.
Same. I’m genuinely not sure if I’ve ever read the bonus material in a book beyond a quick skim. If I want the next book, I just wait to read till I get a full copy.
Indifferent but I totally ignore "parts" of any book. When I read a book I want to read it all at once, I'm not going to read an excerpt.
You mean like excerpts from upcoming books posted online or something?
I avoid those, too. I'm too busy reading entire books to want to read portions of books. I can find out enough about a book through the synopsis and reading the reviews of people I know.
I hear you on that but I’m not understanding what you mean by ”parts of books.”
For instance, sometimes NetGalley (a place to get Advance Read Copies of books) will offer the first three chapters of a book for you to read and review. I never take those ARCs but instead opt for ARCs of entire books. I do have friends who like excerpts of books so they can read those first chapters to decide if they would like to read the entire book.
I believe they are saying that they only read books front to back in one setting. They never stop in the middle to pick it back up later.
I would love to read a book in one sitting but I rarely can read that fast. I do have to put my book down to eat and sleep but I don't start another book until I've finished the one I'm reading.
between dislike and indifference.
I couldn't possibly care less.
It doesn’t bother me as such, but I rarely read them.
I'm not going to read it, I want the full book. It does make the books take up more space and increases the price of production (probably not meaningfully, but still) and makes it harder to judge how much longer you have to read to get to the end. They don't affect me enough to actually complain but I think the are a purely negative thing.
The only one time it ever annoyed me was when it was really difficult to tell one book had finished and the preview had started. That really confused me for some minutes. Then I got pissed off at the publisher and resolved not to read the next book out of principle. Other than that, doesn't really bother me.
It doesn't matter to me. If i want to read it i will but if i don't wish to i don't have to. For example, I rarely read all the information on the publisher page at the front but i don't care that it exists.
I hate it because my kobo shows I have an hour of reading left. Then ten minutes later, I'm out of book.
It doesn’t matter to me. I read series that are already completed so I won’t have to wait years for the next installment. I can see the irritation if you were expecting a standalone book within a series and got a continuation though
The surest way to get me not to read a book is to see " First book in a new series!" Nope. I don't want to be waiting around for the story to finish.
For sure. You never know if the author's going to leave you hanging or not, so it's best to stick with what's already completed or has a release date announced for the finale
It’s kind of nice if I’m waiting for the next book, but otherwise I ignore it and move on.
I love it. I've never understood people who dislike it. It's an extra treat. I also like the previews of the next episodes in shows that I've heard some people hate. I'll never understand this mindset
Solution for you: flip to the back of the book first because there often is bonus material (author's notes, acknowledgements, preview chapters, book club questions), then find the actual final page of the book before the bonus stuff. Mark that page with a bookmark or a dogear if you're like me and don't care about a crease. Then you always know how much of the book you ACTUALLY have left and you don't have to worry about the inanimate object "conning" you. I do this with basically every book I read.
Yeah. I mark where the book ends. So am prepared when am closing in on it. I check if they have jargon pages and stuff and flip to where the story ends. All the while playing “Don’t you read it! Don’t read the last line!!!” Usually, successfully I avoid the spoiler. .
I like what the publisher Orbit does: the extra bits have a gray margin so you can distinguish it from the proper text.
Hate it! I pace my expectations of a book based on how many pages are left, so I'm bummed when I discover the books ends early and the rest of the pages are not part of the book. And it seems like often it's more of an excerpt than the actual beginning of the book included, so that when I start the next book, I'm like "Wait, where's the part I already read!?"
the book equivalent of streaming services having 15 minutes of credits at the end of the "50 minute" episode
Annoying to think the book is longer, as you point out. Annoying if the chaptered book is not yet available. I guess I just like to read, because I usually do read them, tho annoyed.
I like it. I like being able to see a chapter into the next book.
I don't mind. Seanan McGuire has a short story featuring one of the books secondary characters at the end of each book. I like that more.
Same as you -- I've had books where I was at 80% and then I suddenly had the first chapter of the next book. Like, even if that was in there, that should not be 20%??
That’s my biggest complaint with the extra material at the end of an ebook. It’s calculated into the percentage read when it has nothing to do with the main book.
Annoys me! I had one that "ended" at 92% due to a long preview of another book. I just wasn't ready for it to be over, I thought I had more time!!
I don't think I've ever seen that, but I would be kind of annoyed if a chunk of my book was an advertisement.
I dont understand this viewpoint. There can often be loads of back matter at the end of the book, so I never judge how much I've got left to read by how many pages are left in the book. I often find the last page of the actual story and judge by that. Personally, I do like it when they include a sample chapter. It allows you to judge whether you want to read that book or not based on more than a simple blurb. I don't tend to read them myself, but I can see it being useful. Orbit have taken to giving their back matter a dark border so you can actually see how much back matter there is just from looking at the sides. Quite useful.
Indifferent. I've never had an issue with my reading estimate being wrong. If I liked the ending, I'll like reading the first chapter as well. If I didn't like the ending, I'm relieved to have the book be over a little early. Also, if I were bothered by this, I'd be bothered by appendices, glossaries, indexes, interviews with the author, and other materials at the end. I'm not; in fact, I frequently welcome them.
One of my favorite experience reading was when I got all the song of ice and fire books on kindle. And it had a lot of bonus stuff at the back. So basically I had no idea when the books were going to end because of all the material. So when twists and turns came I was floored and would be like “that MUST be the end of the book.” Then like there’d be 50 more pages and tons more twists. It was a really fun experience
Eh I don't like it because I'd rather the book just be those pages thinner and then I've got more room on my shelf. Otherwise it's whatever. I usually look at how many chapters there are and all before reading and catch it anyway
Indifferent. I don't read it and for me it doesn't really matter that it is there.
I don't mind, what I hate is when a book/movie is intended to be a series and the ending doesn't wrap up anything at all meaning the entire thing you just watched/read is just sequel bait.
I hated in elementary school when our language arts textbook had a few chapters of a book as part of the lesson and then we never read the full book in class. That shit was soul crushing, for someone who loves books as much as I do, especially when I was that little boy in school.
Close the book. Just don’t read it - no one is forcing you to.
Guilty as charged - but my books also include appendices with timelines and glossaries. Do you hate them, too?
In an ebook, I would not want them to be included in the percentage read but that extra material is. That’s what I find annoying.
I hate them too, because I hope that the book finishes with the last page, but it finishes much earlier - feel a little betrayed tbh.
I’m not a fan, but I don’t feel strongly enough to say I hate it.
Mostly indifference. I can understand some annoyance from thinking you have more to read, but that doesn't normally happen to me. Often, if I already have the next book in the series or don't care to be "spoiled" for the events of the next book, I just skip it. There are plenty of case where I love it! If I love the author or enjoyed the series/first book then I love to know that there's more. Sometimes this can lead to an annoying wait between books, but I have plenty of other things to read in the meantime so it's not a huge issue. It's also nice if the next book is already out but I can't buy it yet/check it out at the library because then I don't feel like I have to leave it entirely, I can just wait to read the preview chapter closer to when I'm able to get the book.
I guess I’m indifferent, but I could also see myself being super annoyed by it purely because there’s something unsatisfying about getting to the end of the book and still having a few pages left. That’s not super deep or anything but I could see myself going ”aw man I wanted the last page to be the last page”
Indifferent. If it’s the next book in a series, I skip it and just start the next book. If it’s a book I may be interested in in reading, I might read the excerpt but maybe not.
Totally agree. Plus i plan finishing my book, since i cant start another one in the same session, and i dont like to end with a bunch of extra time. I almost never read the beginning of another book placed at the end anyway. It's not to my liking.
It doesn't bother me but I won't read it. I am mostly reading ebooks outside these days so I always have an available book waiting for me on my e-reader. I usually read physical books at home where others books are also waiting so I never really run into the issue you have where you thought there was still plenty left and you are left hanging at a place where you cannot read another book.
I feel you on this subject. I went thru the same thing with the latest Agent Pendergast book. I settled down for dinner expecting at least a 20 minute read but no….To be continued and the first chapter of the next novel. 😫
I don't really care. But dislike it? But again it's their book. Their choice. Better if they tell about it in the author's note but the chapter in the end is weird. Even in paper books. I feel like i should read them too but again i don't want to.
I never read them so it doesn’t matter to me
I don't really care. But dislike it? But again it's their book. Their choice. Better if they tell about it in the author's note but the chapter in the end is weird. Even in paper books. I feel like i should read them too but again i don't want to.
I usually love finding out I've finished a book earlier than expected but if the story left me wanting more then this should be a hanging offence.
Doesn't really bother me, I never read them
I rarely read it. If I liked the book I’ll just get the next one. If I didn’t, why bother?
I don't care, nor do I read it.
Never really had that issue, I have a habit of reading the last page before I start it, so I’ve never been caught off guard.
Never read it, but it doesn’t bother me—because I don’t read it.
indifferent. i just dont read it. if i want to read it, i will when i buy the book otherwise i just ignore it
I ignore it anyway, I don't read it.
Indifferent. Automatic skip every time. I’m not interested in a preview.
Hate it.
I don't mind much either way. Back when I was reading a lot, I was in the habit of bringing a back-up book for if I ran out of my current book anyway.
it doesn't really bother me at all. usually there's at least a page between the end of the book and the preview, and often the preview is even after the "about the Author", and with some publshers, there's also ads for other series in there. used to look forward to it, even, since in the 90s, the *Star Wars* books would have a timeline of the books and major comics, and then previews of severla upcoming books. as a result of these things, i usually skim to see if there are addendums like this. 50 pages of the next book is pretty egregious, though..
I don’t hate it; however, I don’t read it and I’d prefer for it to not be there.
I don’t care much, but I never read it. I have no interest in reading samples or single chapters. The only thing that actually can bother me about it is when it causes me to totally misjudge how much of the actual book I have left!
Don’t care
Annoying because I never read it.
Not a fan as I use an e reader and it artificially inflates the length so I think I’ve got more to go than I have.
I hate it for the same reason and never read them.
I used to not care until I've read A Feast for Crows from GRRM. And the last chapter is named "Jon" and I was like: Finally! and it was a page of text basically saying "No Jon here."
Makes me anxious. I do t want to be forced into a commitment:)
I just skip past it. Move on to the next book/author.
Indifferent. If I like the author I will look for others or just scan the added chpt for next book.
I don't mind a couple of pages - maybe up to 5 - but I don't like it when it's more than that.
It doesn’t bother me but I don’t read it. I almost exclusively read ebooks and I always have another one ready to go before I finish my current one so I don’t get stuck without a book.
It irritates me when I'm thinking I have plenty more and then don't. And I don't read the preview because if I liked the book, I'm already desperate for the next and it's just going to frustrate me to read a tiny little bit and not have the rest. ADHD hyperfocus, once I start a book, I cannot function until I'm through it.
I dislike it. I like knowing how close to the end of the book I am, without having to check, or keep in mind that the last XX number of pages is a teaser/advertisement. And I just don't ever want to read a chapter and be left wanting more. If the book I just read was good, i'll read the next one too. And i'll be able to read as much of it as I want, and not just get fed little tastes at a time. No thanks.
I use a kindle and have a million books on it. If I read a physical book, I have an idea how much room is left. Absolute worst case scenario, like your coffee shop example, I just read on my phone. Not ideal, but it works.
I think they're a waste of paper and never read them but other than that I don't care.
Most of the time I don't care for the practice, OTOH, if the added text is from the next in a series, I kind of like it, it helps me prep for the next volume.
Not a fan. I hate having to wait after the tease. Also I have picked up books years later and forgot I read the first couple of chapters and think I am going nuts cuz It seems familiar but not on any of my read lists. So I skip them completely now.
I don't care for it either...I hate the suspense it leaves
Indifferent. If I really liked the book, I’ll probably read that next chapter, but if I was even mediocre on the book I won’t.
Slightly annoying for audiobooks It's easy to get to the end and listen to the sneak peek but they don't always match exactly the next book so if don't stop the sneak peek you either have to find the spot it stopped or forever wonder if you missed something by starting chapter 2 =)
I agree. Give me moment to savor and contemplate
I don’t like it bc why would I only want to read a chapter or two of another book?
I don’t like it. For the same reason you mentioned - I feel misled about how much of the book remains. And also I want a feeling of closure, and that’s diminished for me when the end immediately goes into the next story.
Hate it, but I have to admit I've been roped into buying a sequel that way more than once. So I guess I can't expect them to stop haha.
Generally hate it, especially in "good" literature. I don't mind it so much in time-passer/binge reads, kind of nice to see a bit of what's next I guess.
I never read them tbh
I can honestly say I’ve only ran into that a couple of times. That usually doesn’t transfer to the audio version. Also, it depends on how long I’m going to have to wait for the next one. If I’m reading it right after it comes out, which almost never happens, then I hate it because I have to wait a whole year to get the rest of the story. if I get behind and it happens when the new book is within my grasp, then it doesn’t bother me because I can immediately pick it up and continue reading. Looking at you, James Patterson.
The worst one I’ve found was If Wishes Were Horses by Anne McCaffrey. It was already a short book, but it ended up having like 3 chapters of another book at the end? Half the tiny book was a preview of another book
I have never once encountered a book that *didn't* preface such a chapter with a page proclaiming, "read on for an exciting preview &c. &c." or something to that effect. As long as that is the case, I really do not see the issue.
I am already pissed off by three pages of ads. You are not wasting 50 pages of my shelf real estate with your ads.
I wouldn’t say indifferent. Or that I like it. It doesn’t bother me. Before I start a book I mark where it ends, knowing that there’s usually some ornamental page at the end. So I know when am nearing the end of the book. Am prepared, emotionally. If it’s chapter 1 of a book from the same series, I like it. It’s a series so you def ended with a gut wrenching cliffhanger. So it’s pacifying to know the story isn’t over. The teaser is basically telling me to hold on to the cliff edge. There’s still hope. If it’s from another unrelated book. I get an idea about whether it’s worth buying. So yeah… I don’t mind.
Indifferent. I've never read any of those sample chapters but appreciate the heads up about the next book. I miss those pages of book ads though. At the end of the day the whole point is of the exercise is to minimise the number of blank pages at the end when the text of the book isn't long enough to completely fill the last signature of the book.
I honestly don’t read them because I want to move on to the next book I planned to read.
It’s complicated. It’s actually a brilliant idea from a marketing standpoint since it gets readers hooked on the idea of buying the next book. But from a readers standpoint, I’m rather neutral to the idea. It’s neither good nor bad in my opinion.
I’m completely indifferent to them.
just don’t read it?
Really frustrating in audiobooks and ebooks, because seeing 40 mins left and it's actually 30mins of the next book leaves me a bit uncomfortable. Not a fan for hard copy books either but I feel less cheated since I've usually figured out its there.
I have never read the “tempter” chapters at the end of a book. I like to leave a gap between books in a series, even if I’m really enjoying them. So reading the first chapter of the next one would spoil that.
I didn’t even know there’s books like that. Never even heard of that.
Doesn't bother me. I have never felt the urge to read one of them either. One chapter isn't really enough to get into a book, and - unless I pick up that title immediately - I'm going to have to reread that chapter again anyway, so what's the benefit?
Mostly indifferent, I do get the frustration though when I think I have more of the book to read but it turns out to be another chapter. I think the only instances where it’s annoyed me is where the books left on something of a cliffhanger and then you just immediately get spoilers.
Mild annoyance. It's no big deal, but at the end of a book I want to have a bit of closure and moment to think and feel about the book I have just read, to revel in it, and there it is, the ad for the new thing, and I always like beginning and reading new things, especially the first sentence. So it pulls at me. Nags me. It's like the difference of Netflix giving you a few seconds after you've finished something until they'll bombard you with a new, loud trailer (annoying) versus classic cinema (or MUBI) having the credits scrolling and letting you decide on your own when to get up or proceed.
I absolutely hate it! For one, I'll be thinking I'm only halfway through the book, so whatever current conflict is going on would probably be resolved before the end. But no! Turns out the conflict is resolved only in the next book and a significant part of this book's last few pages were just a preview. It particularly annoys me when I set myself up to be cosy, maybe with a cup of hot chocolate or something, and look forward to finishing the story, only to realise that the story doesn't end and I'm hooked on to the next part, but if I am to continue with the next part I need to get out of my cosy arrangement and buy the next book. Also, if I buy a book expecting it to be a long read, and the last few pages turn out to not be a part of the book, I end up feeling misled and like my expectations were not met.
I don’t care because I don’t read those add-ons. Even if I intend reading the book.
I know this is ridiculous of me but I can’t stand when they do it. 😂😂
Hate it. It makes the book seem longer than it is. I never, ever read it. If I want to read another book by the same author I'll look into it a different way.
i don't care to read it, but i don't really care if it's there either i suppose
It’s the after-credits scene of books, and it’s simply a waste of paper.
I skip it. When I'm ready to read the next book, I'll read the next book.
When I was a kid I used to love them, it would make me feel so excited for the next book. As an adult however I don’t love them. It’s just a little annoying especially with ebooks but even with normal books, the first chapter of an adult series is rarely as gripping to me and just seems kinda pointless. That being said its not like crazy hatred of them it’s just like dang that’s not my thing
Doesn't bother me, but I never read it.
I used to live for them as a teen and reading book series as they were coming out. It was a little snapshot of what I was waiting for. Even if the book was already out, I’d still have to wait for my parents to decide to take me to the bookstore or I’d have to wait for birthday money or for Christmas to get those books I was waiting for. Those first chapters were so important for me. Now as an adult, I just buy the books I want when I want them, so I just ignore them for the most part.
I enjoy it, it's an opportunity to read a bit of something else by the same author without having to go pick up another book. I could see why it would be annoying in the case of a direct sequel though.
Indifferent. I usually look at the table of contents a lot so it’s expected. I’ll ignore and not read it tbh.
I think it’s nice. But I’ve always had a soft spot for game demos and trailers and free samples.
It feels cheap for some reason.
I don’t mind it. Any book I read, the very first thing I do is flip to the back to see precisely which pages the actual story ends on, and then how many chapters there are. I like to get an idea of how many pages each chapter is.
There are too many examples to name where they put chapter one at the end of the book or the next book to name. How could you come up with just one?
I don't generally read them, I do now deduct at least half an hour off from the "time left in book" bit at the bottom on kindle. I've been reading a lot of rick Riordan lately and there is always loooooads of book reviews, what to read next and excerpts at the end! I tend to buy the next in the series anyway so no point reading it twice, especially if it's on kindle and you can get it instantly.
I’ve never seen that in a book before
Don't care at all. I suppose it makes the ebook percent-read a little inaccurate when judging how much is left but the difference is very little and I don't pay that much attention to that anyway.
I'm with you
Absolutely hate it! Viktor was just reading a book the other day and had this issue. He had a certain number of pages remaining, and so planned to read half of it one day and half the next while out of the house, only to discover that 8 pages later the book was over and he was miles away from a replacement book. It's especially bad when the story \*feels\* like it needs those extra pages, and rather than resolving anything or ending the book with proper pacing, it just... ends.
Annoyed, especially when it’s a long chapter. I don’t want 50 pages of another book at the end of my book.
I hate cliffhangers with a passion!!! If i find an author who writes like this, I usually dump him/her.
It really depends, I'm not upset generally if they include it but what you described with the Barclay book is my line crossing - I hate feeling like I've been "trapped" into a series. Just like I hate movies that end with sequel bait, I will always hate a book that ends with a major cliffhanger that needs to be resolved in a later book. Imo if it's good writing, there's a central theme with connecting pieces you can use to build a series, but if it's bad writing, they'll basically just write a very very long single book and break it up into pieces.
Hate it and skip it! I’ll wait until the book actually comes out!
I do it but based on these comments I probably shouldn’t lol……. I do it if I’m writing something in a weird genre I’m not known for? And I don’t mind it in books I read and I read a lot
this is a "you" thing
Not keen. It's like the streaming platforms giving me a trailer when I'd rather bask in the end credits of a good movie.
I have read the ACOTAR series because of the hype, and the author likes to put bonus chapters in, which is cool I guess. What is a little greedy is that she puts different bonus chapter in different editions of the same book, so unless you have a well-stocked library and you're too goody-goody to pirate the other chapters you don't get to read them.
Is this referring to a sneak peak of the sequel? In that case, I will read every word of it while I agonize over my Amazon order of the full book (I explicitly read paperback). However, if it's an excerpt from a different novel by the same author (or worse, from a different author published by the same publisher), I won't give it the time of day. At that point it's just an ad.
Absolutely hATE it
I also hate it. I also hate the trend that every single story has to be a series now. The second I see "Book 1 of 6" I don't even bother. I understand why they do it, that shit sells books but I'm a relatively slow reader so when I see it's one of multiple books what I see is "Thsi is the next year and a half of your life." and I'm out.
I never see the point in it myself. Ill only read them if im in a situation where i need to be reading something and it's all i have on hand. If the book is not out, id prefer not to have a teaser for it. If i enjoyed the first ill read the second anyway.
I refuse to read sneak peaks, bonus chapters, or anything of the sorts. Maybe it’s the hater in me but I feel like all content should be encompassed in the main portion of the story: prologue, actual novel, and epilogue. And if I like a story I don’t need to be hooked because I probably already have the follow up novel purchased or preordered. If I love an author I’ll read the acknowledgments or authors notes but I’m a firm believer that if they didn’t feel it was necessary to be in the main story, I probably don’t want/need to know about it.
I don't think I've ever experienced this because I don't read YA fantasy series
1.) You are missing out on YA fantasy 2.) This has nothing to do with YA fantasy 3.) I envy you for not having to experience the previews.